Sony SLT Alpha 77 versus rival model with similar score

Further readings for the Sony SLT Alpha 77

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

Equipped with a new 20-Mpix APS-C CMOS sensor and dual-pixel CMOS AF system, Canon’s latest DSLR is the long-overdue update to the flagship EOS 7D model. Read on to find out how the new 20-Mpix sensor performs.

With the 2014 World Cup in Brazil approaching, this is the time manufacturers with serious interests in professional sports start revealing new cameras and lenses to selected press agencies. Both Canon and Nikon are rumored to be fielding prototype professional-level APS-C bodies during the tournament for testing. However, rival Sony appears to have stolen a march by introducing the SLT Alpha 77 II ahead of the games.

Samsung’s Galaxy NX is the world’s first large sensor, mobile-camera hybrid with interchangeable lenses. Read on to find out if this innovative newcomer has what it takes to compete with rival mirrorless offerings.

Sony has launched a new translucent mirror option in their Alpha range of interchangeable lens cameras. Boasting a new autofocus system and greater ISO sensitivity, will the Sony a77 II become the king of APS-C cameras? We look back at its predecessor, the Sony a77, and consider recent Sony sensor scores, to help us decide.

Sony has expanded its range of full-frame mirrorless cameras with the launch of the Sony A7S. Joining the Sony A7 and A7R, the new A7S offers a lower resolution 12.2Mp sensor with an ISO 50–409,600 sensitivity range, and breaks boundaries for video with its 4K/30p video footage output.

With Sony dropping the NEX branding from their mirrorless models, adopting a 20-Mpix APS-C CMOS sensor in a small form factor the new Alpha a5000 appears to continue the NEX lineage. Read on to find out how well it performs.

Sigma are well known for their accessibly priced models and at just under $1,100 the 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO seems like a promising alternative to the premium offerings from the camera makers. Although one of the older models in the firm’s range now, does it still have what it needs to compete with more modern rivals?

Designed as a fast ‘standard’ zoom, the Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 DC Macro HSM C is the first model in the firm’s ‘Contemporary’ series. Featuring a revamped exterior and modified optical construction, the lens is intended as a premium alternative to the official starter lenses found in camera ‘kits’. Read on to see how well it performs.

Continuing our series of evaluation of lens systems we’ve assessed a modest range of Pentax and third-party lenses for their optical quality on the firm’s new flagship Pentax K-3 model. As the replacement for the K-5 II and K-5 IIs, the Pentax K-3 has a new higher pixel density 24-Mpix sensor without an AA filter, and is a promising platform for lens evaluation. Read on to find out which models perform best, and which, if any, that should be avoided.

Continuing our series of evaluation of lens systems we’ve assessed a modest range of Pentax and third-party lenses for their optical quality on the firm’s new flagship Pentax K-3 model. As the replacement for the K-5 II and K-5 IIs, the Pentax K-3 has a new higher pixel density 24-Mpix sensor without an AA filter, and is a promising platform for lens evaluation. Read on to find out which models perform best, and which, if any, that should be avoided.

After the success of the NEX APS-C models, Sony has introduced the EVF-equipped 20-Mpix A3000 to compete with similar mirrorless models from Panasonic and Samsung. Read on to find out how this entry-level model performs.

After the success of the 16-Mpix K-5II and K-5IIs without AA filter, Pentax has replaced the pair with a new flagship model, the K-3, with a 24-Mpix sensor boasting a user-selectable AA filter for control over moiré and sharpness, depending on the situation. Read on to find out how this unique sensor performs?

Following our recommendations for the flagship Sony SLT-A99, we’ve had the opportunity to assess the firm’s semi-professional 24-Mpix DT (APS-C) format model - the SLT-A77 - with a sizeable collection of Sony and third-party prime and zoom models to assess image quality. Read onto find out which of these models perform best when paired with the camera.

We’ve had the opportunity to compare the video AF performance in the lab of Canon’s innovative EOS 70D model with the Sony SLT-A77. Read on to find out how of these two hugely capable cameras performed.

Introduced in July this year, the EOS 70D at first sight seems like a regular update to the maker’s mid-range EOS 60D model. It shares a number of features with the firm’s existing SLR range including a 19-point cross-type phase detection AF system, a 3-inch (1.040M dot) articulated touchscreen and built-in WiFi connectivity with remote viewing and image transfer. The camera can also shoot at up to 7fps and has 1080/30p video recording with stereo sound using an optional external microphone.

Canon’s new EOS 70D model features a new CMOS sensor that uses twin photodiodes at each pixel location that allows AF during video capture, but how does that affect stills output? Read on to find out how well the new sensor performs in our labs.

Sony seems to have a liking for doing things differently to other makers: hybrid cameras with bigger sensors, compact cameras with serious, professional attitude and single lens reflex cameras with fixed, translucent mirrors. Its new SLT Alpha 58 camera shows just how good a strategy this is, close to the quality of their Alpha 77 at half the price!

Although the new Nikon D7100 looks fairly similar to its predecessor (the popular Nikon D7000), Nikon has made some significant changes under the hood that belie the surface similarity. The D7100 not only includes a higher-resolution CMOS sensor, but even more significantly, the company chose to use a sensor without an anti-alias filter for the first time on a non-full-frame DSLR. While this should enable better sharpness and resolution, it may also result in more moiré patterns in some images.

After the introduction of the entry-level 24Mpix D3200 early last year it seemed inevitable that the rest of the firm’s APS-C (DX) range would be refreshed with the same sensor. While the gestation of the new 24Mpix D5200 has taken longer than most people could of reasonably predicted, the sensor is, in fact, a new design and the first from a different vendor for Nikon. We’ve recently put the new camera through our labs, read on to see how the new sensor performs.

A noise benchmark of 187 digital cameras by Peter van den Hamer

DxOMark Camera Sensor is a raw benchmark for camera bodies by DxO Labs. The benchmark is “raw” because it measures image quality using Raw output files. It is also raw as DxO’s data can be used to cook up camera reviews that cover more aspects than image quality.

Pentax’s new version of their very accomplished K-5 model manages to retain the top position in the Semi-Pro DSLR category against some very tough competition. Should we be disappointed that it fails to score higher than the K-5? Not really, the K-5 II incorporates a number of technology updates without damaging what was, in the K-5, a very good formula.

Finally, a Sony full-frame DSLR: the last one was the Alpha 850. But though the new full-format 24Mpix camera shines with all of its new technology and features, it now belongs to the family of cameras with electronic viewfinders instead of with the Alpha 900 and its traditional DSLR viewfinder. With this new positioning, Sony stands out from among the leading lights in this market segment.

We are already acquainted with the D3200: apart from a few ergonomic details, it’s the same camera as the compact and lightweight D3100 SLR, though missing the secondary display on its bridge for even greater compactness. The D3200 weighs only 454 grams (without battery or card). Unlike the D3100, the D3200’s lens is off-center for better balance and the highly practical LiveView/video mode activation tab of the D3100 and the D5100 has disappeared in favor of a more ergonomically mundane video recording button. The D3200 comes with a second (dorsal) infrared sensor to complement its front sensor for more practical infrared remote control. The motor selection tab (single-frame, burst, timer, remote control) is gone as well, again replaced by a direct-access button.

Ever since we tested the Sony SLT A77, we’ve been very curious to see how the soon-to-be released Sony NEX 7 would compare. And today we have the answer: as we expected, the absence of a mirror gives the NEX7 some advantages. Below is a detailed look.

It’s rare in the world of photography for a manufacturer to come up with an entirely new product line from scratch, and it’s equally rare for a famous manufacturer such as Nikon (the world market leader) to offer a new lens mount (Nikon CX). This makes the launch of the Nikon 1 line (Nikon J1 and Nikon V1) a major event in photography this fall.

When the Sony A77 was announced a couple of weeks ago as a replacement for the Sony Alpha 700, Sony’s semi-professional APS-C camera, we were all very impressed by its specifications. So we were really excited to see how it would perform in our tests.

Comments

A year later with the Sony SLT-A77

12-12-12 We captured over 250,000 images so far this year with our Sony SLT-A77s in our concert and wedding photography divisions. We change out our cameras quickly so that we don't get too high of a shutter count to hurt the resale. We are now on cameras number 4, 5, 6, and 7, all Sony A77s. We love everything about these cameras and once we got used to them the results keep getting better and better. We have changed out and upgraded all of our lenses... it is not fair to this camera to shoot with anything less than the best glass.

Our lens battalion now consists of:-Tokina 11-16 2.8(excellent low light super wide angle, great for video. Very sharp with excellent color. Not good for long distance or extreme closeups)) -Sony 16-50 2.8 (our 1st copy of this lens wasn't quite right and I'm glad we got another one... very sharp, great color, silent focus, great for video)-Sony 18-135 (this lens surprised us and gave results close enough to our Minolta 28-135 to replace it. Add in the better electronics and slightly better low light usability and you have a great walk around DAYTIME lens. Very sharp, excellent color)-Sony 35MM 1.8 (excellent low light lens, portrait lens, perfect for indoor video. Extremely sharp with excellent color, great for extreme closeups)-Sony 50MM 1.8 (excellent low light lens, portrait lens, perfect for indoor video. This is our go to lens if the 35MM is already being used on another camera. Extremely sharp with excellent color)-Minolta 80-200 2.8G (my favorite lens and I use it whenever I can. Excellent sharpness and color. The only downside with this lens is the 6' "MFD" minimum focus distance)

Some of the other great lenses we have tried on the Sony SLT-A77:Minolta 20MM 2.8Minolta 50MM 1.7Minolta 28-135 4-4.5Minolta 500MM f8 AFTokina 19-35Tokina 20-35Minolta 17-35 2.8-4Minolta 28-85Minolta 100-300 APO

Some of the lenses we tried and were very unimpressed withTamron 17-50 (sharp but color was way off)Sony 18-200 (soft on both ends)Sony 18-200 (soft on both ends)Sony 18-55 (best maker of 18-55 but still garbage)Sony 18-70 (one of the worst lenses ever made)Tamron 75-300 (sharp but bad color)Sigma (tried many, not impressive compared to Sony or Minolta)Here's some links to recent photos taken with these cameras and lenseshttp://www.rocklegendsphotographers.comhttp://abetterdj.zenfolio.com/f573970812

Why high ISO advantage for A77 over A65?

<div id="linkdxomark">This a comment for <a href="http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cameras/Camera-Sensor-Database/Sony/SLT-Alpha-77">this page on the website</a></div>I posted something similar on the A65 page, but I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on why, given both are using the same sensor, that the A77 scores 801 in high-ISO while the A65 only scores 717. I understand why the A77 might score higher overall due to the lower ISO range, but not why it would be better in low light.

Looking at the NEX-5N vs the NEX-7, the high-ISO performance difference isn't as great (1079 for the 5N vs 1016 for the 7) and they are using sensors with significantly different resolutions.

Re: Why high ISO advantage for A77 over A65?

Re: Why high ISO advantage for A77 over A65?

I don't see an advantage. From among the A77, A65, and NEX-7, all of which use the same sensor, the A77 and A65 have almost identical scores for SNR 18% and Dynamic Range. You may also notice that the SLTs' scores are a little bit shy of the scores for the NEX-7, no doubt due to the light lost to the PDAF system via the "Translucent Mirror".

We just put the SONY SLT-A77 through the ultimate test!

We just shot over 9,000 photos and 2 videos in 4 days with our 2 SONY SLT-A77s!

We just returned from a gig as official photographers of the Rock Legends Cruise. I shot about 5,000 photos with my A77 using my (favorite) MINOLTA 28-135MM 1:4-4.5 lens and my wife took about 4,000 photos using her SONY SLT-A77 using her favorite... the SONY 16-50MM 2.8 lens.

We shot about 75% of the indoor shots with no flash. You can read a review of the cameras performances and see the photos and videos under the RLC Cruise photo tab at http://www.abetterdj.net ENJOY!

Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear... to deal with!

SONY SLT-A77 with the new SONY 16-50 2.8 lens

SONY could have easily called this lens a "G" lens!

Our 2nd A77 with the 16-50 lens came in on Wednesday and I can't seem to leave it alone (HELP! I'm taking photos and I can't stop!) This camera and lens were made to be together. The sharpness and color beat all of my legendary Minolta glass and the speed is incredible! Photos are processed and already showing on the LCD before your subject is finished saying cheese.

This one is going to be permanently attached to my wife's A77 since she's the primary shooter but I might just have to get another one for my own A77 if I can convince myself that I'm no longer addicted to my MINOLTA 28-135 1:4-4.5! That lens has been so good to me I can't bear the thought of bagging it.

The A77s grow on us more and more every day. I was kinda jealous of some of our other shooters that had the SONY zoom button, our A55s didn't and I wished they did. I love zooming in with the 28-135 then hitting the button twice and getting that fabulous crop. I also have a 100-300 APO that looks great doubled to 600MM... kinda makes me want to go for a 100-400 APO!

We've posted some great flower shots with the A77/16-60 combo on our site... just got to the SONY|MINOLTA tab http:www.abetterdj.net

Re: DXOmark Reviews

The SONY A77 is awesome.

<div id="linkdxomark">This a comment for <a href="http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cameras/Camera-Sensor-Database/Sony/SLT-Alpha-77">this page on the website</a></div>We didn't have the patience to wait for the US release of this camera plus we were worried it would be pre-sold-out (like happened in the UK), so we ordered 1 from Hong Kong (2 day delivery $1329 US). We sold one of our 3 SONY A55s to make room for it in our camera tub and all we can say is WOW!

We've had ours for 6 days now and shot about 300 test shots before shooting our 1st wedding (800 shots) last Saturday. We were not expecting much photo quality improvement over the A55s but boy were we wrong. The detail, sharpness, and color that this camera put out were a noticeable improvement from our A55s.

The wedding we shot was very dimly lit and the camera had no problem making the proper adjustments. We shot all night in Auto to put it through the tests. The camera reacted well and is super fast both in AF speed and shutter reaction. Out of 800 shots we had 798 useable, with the 2 bad ones being an ooops and one shot that the flash didn't fire. There was no noise at all in any of the photos taken.

The camera is larger, but not too large for my wife's normal female sized hands. The weight was actually less than we expected and she was comfortable during the whole 6 hour shoot. We never experienced a lag time while the buffer unloaded and we got almost 700 shots from the SONY battery. The buttons and dials are all nicely placed and after a few days of getting used to the camera we have found everything to be easily accessible. There is very little need to go into the menu once the camera is set up for your shoot, there are buttons for just about everything.

For anybody thinking of buying one of these... stop thinking and start your preorder process, it is well worth the $1400 selling price. We will be replacing our A55s with A65s soon, but the A77 will continue to be our primary camera.

We've posted some sample shots at www.abetterdj.net and will post some of the wedding shots Thursday or Friday.

One more thing... in case you didn't know the legendary MINOLTA lenses work perfectly on these cameras! You will get much more bang for your buck going with these. We shoot exclusively MINOLTA lenses on all our SONYs. Our primary lens is a MINOLTA 17-35MM 1:2.8-3.5 and our A55s are both equipped with MINOLTA 28-135 1:4-4.5 lenses. We also bag a MINOLTA 100-300MM APO lens for long distance shots at concerts we shoot. We are the official photographers on the Rock Legends Cruise in December www.rocklegendscruise.com and will be posting about 15-20,000 photos to share with everyone :D